Bullet stop



P 1935. A. D. CASWELL 2,013,133

BULLET STOP Filed Jan. 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Elmo/WM Arthur D. Caswll Sept. 3, 1935. A. D. CASWELL 2,013,133

BULLET STOP Filed Jan. 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arkhur D. Caswell 33,4, wzwwgw Patented Sept. 3, 1935 is era QFFIE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to bullet stops and has for its object to provide a simple and compact bullet stop which will be simple in operation and which will function positively and effectively.

An object of the invention resides in providing a bullet stop which may be constructed as an in dividual unit and which may be utilized in conjunction with other units to build up a battery of bullet stops capable of covering any desired area.

A still further object of the invention resides in constructing the bullet stop so that additional units may be readily added to the last unit installed as the occasion demands.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the bullet stop in a manner such that the entire area for any desired height may be covered and so that a minimum amount of depth is required in the installation of the invention.

An object of the invention resides in providing a bullet stop with a receptacle for bullets disposed within the confines of the stop itself and above the floor level on which the stop is to be installed.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing the bullet stop so that access to the receptaclefor bullets may be had from the front of the device, thereby making it unnecessary to provide passageways or space to the rear of or below the bullet stop.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing the bullet stop with a pair of vertical converging deflector plates arranged to form a throat at their adjacent edges and in further constructing the bullet stop with a baflle behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and forming a conduit for leading the bullets toward the lower end of the chamber.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing an inclined floor extending into said chamber and serving to lead the bullets received Within said chamber through said throat and forwardly of the bullet stop into a bullet receptacle.

Another object of the invention resides in forming an outlet for said chamber at the lower end of said throat through which the bullets are readily discharged into the receptacle.

An object of the invention resides in providing a horizontally extending deflector plate disposed between said vertical deflector plates and extending upwardly from the floor toward said throat in a manner to cover said outlet.

. A feature of the invention resides in providing a rod extending across said vertical deflector plates for supporting said horizontal deflector plate and in constructing the latter with a flange adapted to engage the rod to hold said horizontal deflector plate in place.

An object of the invention resides in providing guards extending into the chamber within the '5 bafile which serve to prevent back splash of fragments of the bullets.

A feature of the invention resides in constructing said guards by attaching the baffle to the deflector plates forwardly of the adjacent edges 10 thereof.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bullet stop illustrating an embodiment of my invention and constituting one of the units of a battery.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the target mechanism removed.

Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a battery of two units such as shown in Fig. 1 with parts of one of the units cut away to illustrate the construction thereof.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the use of the invention with wings.

In the installation of shooting galleries the common procedure in providing a bullet stop has been to install heavy and substantial permanent structures which are more or less built into the building and form a constituent part thereof and by means of which the force of the bullets may be expended. Such construction requires special design of both building and gallery and greatly limits the installation of shooting galleries in previously erected buildings. The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive bullet stop unit which may be combined with other units or with the extension wings usable in conjunction therewith to form a battery of any desired area. Such units are so constructed as to be readily transported and erected and are erected with very little labor requiring no alteration whatsoever of the building in which the shooting gallery is to be installed.

My invention proper consists of a number of units such as is shown in Fig. 1. Each of said units being identical in construction, only one of these units will be described in detail. The unit shown in Fig. 1 is indicated in its entirety by the reference character A and consists of two vertically extending deflector plates l0 and I l arranged in converging relation. The forward edges l2 and 53 of these plates are spaced from one another and are free throughout the entire extent for the purpose of attaching the wings thereto or for the purpose of attachment to adjacent units as will be presently described in detail.

The adiacently positioned edges I4 and I5 of the deflector plates If] and II form a vertically extending throat to which is of such dimensions as to admit the flattened bullets to pass therethrough. The two plates it and H are arranged at such an angle that bullets striking the same will slide along said plates and be discharged from the space between the said plates through the throat E6. The lowermost portion of the bullet stop is provided with a bottom or floor All which is constructed to flt in between the two deflector plates l0 and II. This floor is provided with upwardly turned flanges H on which the bullet stop is supported. These flanges are bolted to the deflector plates I!) and it through bolts M. At the upper edges of the two plates to and H is provided a top l9 similar to floor 48 which is formed with downwardly turned flanges l8 bolted or riveted to the upper edges of the said plates.

Immediately to the rear of the throat H5 is provided a baffle 28 which is constructed from a sheet of metal bent in the form of a spiral. The outer convolution 2! of the spiral is formed with a flange 22 which is bolted to the inner marginal portion 23 of plate Ill by means of countersunk bolts 26. The inner convolution 25 of baffle 2t lies tangent to the rear surface of the marginal portion 26 of plate H at 21 and is secured to said plate through a number of clip angles 28. Clip angles 28 are constructed with a leg 29 which are welded or otherwise secured to the baflie 2i! and with other legs 39 which lie along plate I l and are bolted thereto by means of countersunk rivets 3!. By means of this construction a vertically extending spiral chamber 32 is provided into which the bullets passing through the throat l6 are received and in which the force of the bullets is expended. The shape of the baffle 29 is such that a bullet leaving the free edge 33 of said baffle strikes the opposite portion 34 of the outer convolution of said bafile at an angle tending to cause the further movement 'of said bullet inwardly along the spiral. In this manner once the bullet enters the chamber 32 through the throat t6 the entire force of the bullet is expended and the bullet finally dropping downwardly toward the lower end of the chamber 32 which serves as a conduit for conducting the bullets out of the device.

Between the two deflector plates l0 and II at the lower portion thereof and between the bottom 40 and a horizontally extending deflector plate disposed between said vertical deflector plate is formed a receptacle 35 into which the bullets collected through conduit 32 are discharged. This receptacle communicates with chamber 32 through an opening 31 in plate H at the lowermost portion thereof adjacent throat l6 which constitutes an enlargement of throat it and forms a discharge outlet. The floor 48 is bent upwardly to form an incline 39 at the rearward portion thereof below the bafile 28 which extends into chamber and closes the lowermost end thereof. This incline serves to lead the bullets discharged by the baffle forwardly and into the receptacle 36 formed on the forward part of the floor 4i].

The deflector 35 serves as a cover for the receptacle 36 and is removably mounted in its closing position so that access to the receptacle 36 may be had. For this purpose a rod 4| is employed which extends across and is attached to the deflector plates iii and H and supports the plate 35 at its rearward end. A flange 42 formed on this plate engages behind the rod 4| and causes the said plate to remain properly supported in a manner to deflect the bullets striking the same upwardly and away from the opening 3?. For this purpose rod M is situated toward the rear of the plates Hi and H and slightly above the uppermost edge of opening 3?.

For the purpose of permitting the discharge of the bullets received Within the inner convolutions 25 of the spiral baflle 2% the lowermost portion 43 thereof is severed from the body of the deflector along a line 54 best shown in Fig. 1 and bent outwardly to contact with the forward edge it: of the deflector plate ll formed through opening 3l. By means of this construction, a clear space is provided at the bottom of the conduit 32 and of a height equal to the height of the opening 37 which freely communicates with the receptacle 36 formed upon the floor ill and beneath the deflector plate 35. It will readily be comprehended that bullets received within the chamber 32 are discharged upon the incline 39 and slide forwardly into the chamber 36. After a certain number of bullets have been accumulated the deflector plate 35 may be lifted off to uncover receptacle 36 and the bullets removed therefrom. It is to be noted that the receptacle 36 is accessible from the front of the device so that the baifle 2%! may be installed close up against the end wall of the building in which the gallery is built. With this construction it is not necessary to employ passageways behind the bullet stop to enable the attendant to collect the bullets or to employ a passageway or special construction beneath the floor of the gallery for like purposes.

In order to prevent back splash or the flying of small fragments of lead from the bullet back through the throat It: and against the target, a special construction is employed which is best shown in Fig. 4. For this purpose the tangent portion El of the inner convolution 25 of the baflie 2i: and the salient corner 19 of the outer convolution 2! of said baflie are attached to the two deflector plates H3 and ll on the rearward sides thereof forwardly of the extreme rearward edges l4 and iii of the deflector plates. This leaves portions H and 12 of the said deflector plates projecting into the chamber 32 which form reentrant acute angles with the said portions of the baffle. These portions form guards for catching small fragments of the bullets which may become broken from the same and prevent the reverse movement of said fragments through the throat l6 and against the target proper.

In Figs. 1 and 3 I have shown a target 48 which may be supported in any desired manner with respect to the bullet stop proper. In these drawings I have shown the target as supported through a carrier 49 mounted on a trolley 50 which rides on a cable '5! stretched between the bullet stop proper and some flxed object at the fixing booth of the gallery. Such construction forming no particular feature of the invention has not been shown in detail. For the purpose of attaching this structure to the bullet stop proper, a bracket 52 is employed which is bolted to the underside of the top l9 medially of the lateral edges thereof and toward the forward portion of the bullet stop. This bracket is provided with an eye bolt 53 to which cable 5! is attached and is provided with pulleys 54 and 55 over which the usual puller cord 56 passes. This cord is attached to the carrier 49 at 5'! and may be operated by the usual handwheel at the firing booth.

In the installation of my invention one or more units such as indicated at A in Fig. 1 may be employed. In Fig. 5 two such units A and B have been illustrated as mounted side by side. When so installed the forward edges l2 and I3 of the adjacent units are brought together and secured through a vertically extending angle 58 which may be bolted to the same. In such case a target 48 is used for each unit and is centrally disposed relative to its bullet stop and mounted in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3. With the construction so arranged a minimum depth is required so that no appreciable foreshortening of the gallery is necessary.

Where sufiicient length is available a number of units and D may be installed as illustrated in Fig. 6 to cover a greater width and to provide more firing booths for the same number of units. In such installations the units 0 and D are exactly identical with the units A excepting that the target carrier is not attached to the same. In conjunction with these units, wings 58 and Eli are employed which are attached to the free edges l2 and E3 of the deflector plates l9] and l i and which lie in continuation thereof. For this purpose attaching plates ti are employed which are bolted both to the marginal portions of these wings and to the marginal portions of the two deflector plates. Supplemental top and floor members 52 and 63 are also employed in such case which are formed with flanges and bolted to the wings 59 and 6D in exactly the same manner as the top l9 and floor id of the bullet stop proper. The two units with wings attached thereto are arranged with the'forwardly disposed edges of the wings 59 and Gil in contact which are secured together through a vertically extending angle K54 similar to the angle 56. With the units constructed and erected as shown in Fig. 6 two targets 65 and 66 may be used for each unit, thereby doubling the number of booths possible with each set of units employed. Where, however, conservation of space in the direction of length is necessary, four units arranged adjacent one another in the manner illustrated in Fig. would be necessary, one target being utilized with each unit.

Where the target carrier is installed independently oi the units, said units may be placed up against the end wall and need only rest directly upon the ground or floor and need not be attached thereto or braced with respect to the building. Where, however, the target carriers are directly attached to the tops of the units or the extension tops, any suitable bracing may be employed by means of which the units are properly held in position and in a manner to resist the tension applied to the trolley wire or cable supporting the target carrier.

My invention is highly advantageous in that an extremely simple and effective bullet stop is provided which is portable and self-containing and which may be quickly and readily installed without appreciable labor and without alteration of the building in which the same is to be used.

The invention is constructed in units which may be built up in any number to form any desired number of booths and to cover any desired area. The units may be built in several heights to fit various story heights. Wings and extension tops and floors may be added to the units to increase the number of targets used with each unit where the available space is to be had. By causing the bullets to be discharged forwardly of the bullet stop, danger to the attendants is entirely prevented since an attendant in removing the bullets would be clearly visible to a person stationed at the firing booth. By means of my improved construction no passageways behind or to the side of the bullet stop is necessary and furthermore no space or mechanism on the floor below for the collection of the bullets is required. The units can be constructed at a nominal cost and of suificiently strong material to resist repeated firing of any desired caliber of gun. Access to the bullet receptacle is easily had by removal of the closure forming the horizontally extending deflector of the invention. By means of the special construction at the throat of the bullet stop the flying back of small particles of lea-d from the bullet is prevented and the consequential tearing of the targets entirely eliminated.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A bullet stop comprising a first vertically disposed deflector plate, a second vertically disposed deflector plate arranged in. converging relation with respect to said first deflector plate to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a spiral baiile behind said throat extending outwardly from said first plate and disposed principally in back of the second plate and forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically extending passageway, an incline extending into said passageway, said second plate having an opening therein at its lower end and above said incline, said spiral baflie having a portion thereof opposite said opening severed from the major portion thereof and bent to extend up to the portion of said second plate adjacent said opening.

2. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation toform a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a baflie behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically extending passageway, a receptacle for bullets at the lower portion of the deflecting plates disposed forwardly of the said chamber and communicating therewith and an inclined deflecting plate disposed between said vertical deflector plates, said inclined deflecting plate directing bullets into said passageway and forming a cover for said receptacle.

3. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a bafi'le behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically extending passageway, a receptacle for bullets at the lower portion of the deflecting plates disposed forwardly of the said chamber and communicating therewith and an inclined deflecting plate disposed between said vertical deflecting plates, said inclined deflecting plate directing bullets into said passageway and forming a cover for said receptacle, and means for removably securing said inclined deflecting plate in closing position.

4. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a bafile behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically disposed passageway, an incline extending into said passageway at the lower portion thereof for directing the spent bullets forwardly therefrom, said throat being formed to provide an enlarged outlet immediately above said incline for the discharge of spent bullets from said passageway, and an inclined deflector shielding said outlet.

5. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a baiiie behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent, and providing a vertically disposed passageway, an incline extending into said passageway at the lower portion thereof for directing spent bullets forwardly therefrom, said throat being formed to provide an enlarged outlet immediately above said incline for the discharge of spent bullets from said passageway, supporting means secured to said plates, and an inclined deflector plate removably carried by said supporting means and shielding said outlet.

6. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges of the plates, a baflle behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent, and providing a vertically disposed passageway, an incline extending into said passageway at the lower portion thereof for clirecting spent bullets forwardly therefrom, said throat being enlarged immediately above said incline to form an outlet for the discharge of spent bullets from said passageway, a rod extending from one deflector plate to the other and at an elevation above said outlet, and an inclined deflector plate carried by said rod and extending downwardly to the lowermost edges of said first named deflector plates, said last named deflector plate having means thereon for engagement with said rod to hold said plate in position on said rod.

'7. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges thereof, a baffle behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically extending passageway, an incline forming a sloping bottom for said passageway and adapted to direct spent bullets therefrom through the lower portion of said throat forwardly thereof, and a deflector plate inclined upwardly toward the throat for shielding said lower portion of said throat.

8. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation and having a throat at the angle therebetween, a baffle behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets entering said throat is spent, said bafile providing a vertically extending passageway, the same having a forward outlet at its lower portion, an incline, forming a sloping bottom for said passageway, adapted to direct spent bullets therefrom forwardly through said outlet, and a deflector in front of and shielding said outlet.

9. A bullet stop comprising a pair of vertically disposed deflecting plates arranged in converging relation to form a vertical throat at the adjacent edges thereof, a bafiie behind said throat forming a chamber in which the force of the bullets is spent and providing a vertically extending passageway, an incline forming a sloping bottom for said passageway and adapted to direct spent bullets therefrom through said throat forwardly thereof, said throat being enlarged immediately above said incline to facilitate the discharge of the spent bullets from said passageway, and a deflector in front of the throat for shielding said incline and said throat enlargement.

ARTHUR D. CASWELL. 

